Life-boat.



PATENTED' JULY 2, 1907.

' A; T. BROGH.

LIFE BOAT. APPLIOATIQN IILBD 00129, 1906.

IN VEN TUR ATTORN 1i": "minis rsrsns ca., wasnmamu, c.

WITNESSES: 6

ALBERTTHEODOR BROOH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed tobe 29, 1906. Serial No. 341,031.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT Tnnooon Bnoon, a citizen of Norway, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to life boats. Its chief object is to provide a small boat which can be easily and quickly sent overboard or launched from a vessel in.

case of disaster or need with a minimum amount of danger of being swamped by heavy seas.

It has other objects which will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accom-' panying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation in partial section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

A represents a boat or raft of suitable size, shape and material. Usually the boat will be of the size of an ordinary life boat, capable of holding several passengers.

The invention resides essentially in providing an inclosure for the open portion of the boat which can be erected to exclude the wash when the boat is launched, or during very high seas, when .there is danger of swamping, and which inclosure will automatically operate a beacon light on the bow or stern of the boat. Along each side of the open portion of the boat running lengthwise thereof, are the guide rods 2. A series of bows or arches 3 like the bows of a wagon top are slidably connected to these rods in such fashion that they may be folded flat on to the deck or be erected over the opening of hatch 4.

A canvas or other suitable water-proof covering as 5 is secured to the deck around the front end of the hatch and is also secured to the bows in such fashion that it will permit the bows to be folded down fiat like a buggy top, or to be erected and drawn backward to cover over the hatchway or open portion of the boat. The cover portion 5 is adapted to extend rearward substantially the entire length of the open portion of the boat, and when the bows have been raised and moved rearward along the rods 2 so as to properly stretch the covering, the bows are maintained in rigid I upright position by means of the toggle levers 6 These toggle levers have one of their members pivoted to a fixed part of the boat and the other members to one or the other of the bows 3. When the toggle members are straightened, they act as a diagonal brace as shown in Fig. 1 to maintain the bows upright. There is also another set of toggle members 7 which connect to the feet of the rearmost arch; these toggle members 7, lie substantially horizontal when extended and cooperate with the other toggle members 6 to maintain the arches upright and properly stretch the covering. In order to close the rear opening of the housing or cabin thus formed by the covering 5, I employ another arch 8 which is pivoted to the boat as at 9 and has a supplemental covering 10 secured to it. This supplemental covering 10 is also fastened to the deck at the rear of the opening or hatch of the boat, and is of suitable shape and design so that it will be properly stretched in substantial continuation with the forward covering 5 when the arches 8 and 3 are erected.

The erecting of the arch 8 is done automatically by the following means: When the forward covering has been stretched, a tension spring 11 is hooked to the top of one of the intermediate bows 3, and to the how 8, which is lying fiat on the deck and is temporarily held against lifting by a suitable latch member 12. This latch member 12 is shown in the form of an arm fixed to a short vertical shaft 13 and operated by either the inside hand lever 14, or the outside lever 14. When the spring 11 is engaged with the erected bow 3 and with the flat bow 8, the spring is put on sufficient tension that, if the latch 12 is turned to release the bow 8, the latter will be thrown upward into an upright position as indicated in Fig. 1. Preferably the bow 8 is adapted to just fit inside of the rearmost bow 3. The bow 8 may be held upright either by means of the spring 11 or by a supplemental means as the lock pin 15, engaging corresponding perforations in the adjacent bows 8-3. When the two canvas water-proof coverings 510 are thus stretched in the manner described, an inclosed protected cabin is offered for the occupants of the boat. It is also my purpose that when the bow 8 is raised into upright position that it will automatically close the circuit to display a beacon light 16 located at one end of having a switch arm 17 which is adapted to move into and out of electrical connection with the contact, 18. One terminal of the beacon light 16 is connected with contact 18 by wire 19; the switch member 17 is here shown as connected through the battery with the other terminal of the beacon light by the wire 20. Normally with the latch closed to hold down the arch 8 against the tension of its spring the contact members 1,718 are separated and insulated from each other. The moment however the operating lever 14 or 14 is turned to release the latch and allow the arch 8 to be erected, the electrical connections through the parts 17-18 are closed.

In operation assuming that it is desired to launch this boat overboard from the deck of the vessel, the passenger or passengers get into the boat, raise the arches 3 and slide them along the rails 2 and lock the same by means of the toggles 67, the latch 12 is then tripped, the spring 11 causes the arch 8 to be thrown into erect position to entirely house in and protect the occupants from the elements. At the same time that the latch 12 

